The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) yesterday released the results of Form Six national examinations held this year which show an improved performance in the number of students who passed the exams.

Announcing the results in Dar es Salaam yesterday, NECTA Executive Secretary Dr Joyce Ndalichako said a total of 46,499 candidates, equivalent to 87.58 percent of all students who sat for the examinations have passed.

Of those who passed, she said, 16,033 are girls while 30,466 are boys.

She said last year the candidates who passed the examination were 49,653 which was equivalent to 87.24 percent.

According to Dr Ndalichako, at least 40,635 school candidates, an equivalent to 92. 27 percent, who sat for the examinations have passed compared to last year whereby only 40,960 candidates, equivalent to 92.03, passed their exams.

Private candidates who passed the exams are 5,864, equivalent to 64.75 percent, 3958 of whom are boys and 1,906 are girls.

She said 35,000 candidates, equivalent to 79.48 per cent, scored Division I, II and III, whereby 12,151, equivalent to 79.41 percent are girls, while 22,849, equivalent to 79.51 percent are boys.

She further said that students performed well than last year in history, Kiswahili, English, Physics, Biology, Advanced Mathematics, Commerce and Accountancy, while performances in Chemistry, Basic Applied Mathematics, Economics and General studies have dropped.

She announced the best ten schools in the category of schools with more than 30 students as Marian Girls, Feza Boys, Kisimiri, Kibaha, Ilboru, Mzumbe, Msalato, Tabora Boys, St Mary‘s, Mazinde Juu and Consolata Seminary.

According to Dr Ndalichako, the best ten schools in the category of schools with less than 30 students are Uru Seminary, Iwawa, Maua Seminary, Harrison Uwata, Beroya, Palloti, Lutengano, Makita, Mwanga and Visitation Girls’.

Along with that, she named the best five candidates in science subjects with their schools in brackets as Faith Assenga (Marian Girls), Zawadi Mdoe (Feza Boys), Belnadino Mgimba (Minaki) Jamal Juma (Feza Boys) and Imaculate Mosha (Marian Girls)

Meanwhile, NECTA is withholding examinations results for 51 students who are yet to pay examination fees and has promised to release them once they had paid.

The council also has cancelled the examination results of three school candidates and three private ones due to cheating.

Necta however has reduced the number of years for the punishment meted to students who commit examinations offences from three to one for them to re-sit the exams.

Dr Ndalichako said that the new punishment will be applicable to 2011 Form Four students whose results were cancelled and 2012 Form Six students involved in similar offences.

“We decided to reduce the punishment duration after the students apologised to NECTA after they have recognised the impacts which may occur due to cheating,” she said.

Dr Ndalichako however called upon all education stakeholders to cooperate with Necta to check examination cheating because the act held back the government efforts of providing quality education.

She added that Necta will continue to take stringent measures against candidates who will be involved in examination cheating because the act was unacceptable.